Real Madrid News
Real Madrid were close to signing Chelsea flop in 2018, move vetoed by Zidane
Real Madrid have boasted of some of the world’s greatest goalkeepers. Iker Casillas in the past, Keylor Navas during their UCL threepeat run, and Thibaut Courtois in modern day are some of the names that make a strong case to be a part of the elite list.
According to reports from Jorge Picon of GOAL Espana, Real Madrid had an agreement to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga in the summer of 2018. Los Blancos were willing to pay the €20 million release clause for him before Zinedine Zidane stopped the transfer.
The former manager is said to have vetoed the transfer to avoid any disruption in the dressing room harmony. Given that Keylor Navas was one of the pillars of the team at that time, bringing in a direct competition would not go down well.
Yet, the club went on to secure the signing of Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea in the same transfer window. The Belgian international was very vocal about wanting a move to the Bernabeu and was awarded the same in August 2018 in a deal worth €35 million.
After being rejected by Real Madrid, Arrizabalaga eventually joined Chelsea to fill the void left by Courtois. The Spaniard was touted to be the next global icon in goal, but soon saw a drastic dip in form.
In his first season in the Premier League, Kepa started 36 games for Chelsea, in which he maintained 14 clean sheets and averaged 2.3 saves per game. However, his deteriorating form soon saw Edouard Mendy take over as the first-choice goalkeeper.
This season, he has only started four league games and has conceded two goals.
The current edition of the Real Madrid squad is full of young talents, who have shown remarkable potential in recent years.
Arda Guler is among the young players looking to make a mark in European football in the years to come.
The young Turk joined Real Madrid earlier this summer, rejecting many other European giants in the process.
Toni Kroos mentoring Guler at Real Madrid
Guler has not enjoyed the best of starts to his life at Santiago Bernabeu, as he is spending a brief time on the sidelines due to an injury.
However, Guler has not stopped working on his characteristics, as he looks to kickstart his Real Madrid career on a positive note.
To that end, the former Fenerbahce starlet is receiving some key support from one of Real Madrid’s midfield pillars in the form of Toni Kroos.
This is according to MARCA, which suggests that the German international is mentoring Guler in his early days at Santiago Bernabeu.
Kroos: huge ‘sponsor’ of Guler
The report highlights how Toni Kroos is a huge admirer of Arda Guler. The German had even heaped praise on the youngster from Turkey when he joined the club earlier in the summer.
Guler, therefore, is closely training with Kroos, whose years of experience, composure, and knowledge of football, could help the youngster grow at Santiago Bernabeu.
This fits in well with Carlo Ancelotti’s vision at Real Madrid, as the Italian boss wants youngsters to have room to grow, especially with guidance from some of the older guards in the team.
It is one of the key reasons Real Madrid wanted to stick to Kroos and Luka Modric, despite bringing in Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Guler, therefore, has the stage set for him to start his Real Madrid career on a strong note. After impressing in training, the next step for the youngster is to make a promising debut, which is just around the corner.
